adminH-Metro Reporters
GENDER equality creates conditions to boost economic development as it improves the empowerment of women.
Chief director for gender, policy planning and programme management in the Women Affairs, Community and Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Liliian Matsika Takaendisa, said women contributed substantially to development and should be given the opportunity to participate effectively.
“Over 56 percent of small to medium enterprises in Zimbabwe are owned by women according to a 2021 Zimstats survey.
“However, the majority of female businesses are at micro level, so it is therefore important to empower women economically so that they participate meaningfully in wealth creation.
“Women empowerment is a powerful strategy to attain gender equality and to also reduce gender-based violence,” she said.
She said Zimbabwe was reviewing its Gender Policy and the Broad-Based Women Economic Empowerment framework which guides gender mainstreaming and economic empowerment of women.
“I urge policymakers, academic institutions, private and public institutions to take gender mainstreaming as a priority in order for us to have a better future as a country.
“It has been proven that women are less susceptible to corruption, more responsible and utilise whatever resources they have for the benefit of the family as compared to their male counterparts.
“Having a more gender-balanced workforce may induce more women to become more competitive in nature and pursue decision making positions,” she said.
She said one of the country’s focuses was to promote equal participation of women in all sectors.
“We are dedicated to creating and sustaining a community of women and men who collaborate in all spheres of life in order to build a sustainable economy.”
Online Reporter